Kyrie Irving NBA Trade Rumors: Can the Cavaliers and Celtics Complete the Trade?

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, August 29, 2017

In a surprising move last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers decided to do business with the Celtics as they shipped All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to Boston in exchange for 2016–17 most valuable player candidate Isaiah Thomas, two-way wing Jae Crowder, Croatian center Ante Žižić and the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick.

The trade was unexpected, to say the least. The Cavaliers could have sent Irving to a team in the Western Conference or a non-title contender in the east, but instead, they traded him to their fiercest rivals in the conference.

The Cavaliers got everything they could have asked for in return for Irving. But before they could complete the deal, the players involved have to pass a physical first and it seemed that the trade has hit a snag because of the condition of Thomas' injured hip.

Apparently, the Cavaliers are concern about the timeline for Thomas' return this season, and now they are seeking further compensation from the Celtics. Boston can give Cleveland another first-round pick or one of their young players, but they don't want to do that. They are already giving up a lot to get Irving and Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix says that they will only add a second-round pick to complete the deal.

Both sides are back on the negotiating table, but there's a chance the Cavaliers may void the deal if they don't like the package the Celtics are sending their way.

Now, one has to wonder if the Cavaliers knew exactly what they were doing when they pulled the trigger on the trade. They knew that Thomas would need time to recover from his hip injury. And if they void the trade, the Celtics would have to deal with two players (Thomas and Crowder) who felt betrayed when they were shipped to Cleveland.

The Ringer's Haley O'Shaughnessy has suggested that the Cavaliers may have planned this all along. ESPN's Chris Haynes also thinks that the Cavaliers planned this, but he still believes that the deal can still be finalized.